Led by his undying love for the spicy soup curry, founder Mr Shuichi Takahashi debuted the first Sama outlet at Sappora in 2004, in hopes of spreading Japanese soul food to different parts of Asia.

Since then, Sama has branched out to 10 stores in Japan, infiltrated Hong Kong’s culinary realm, and is now in Singapore.

Customisable curries

At Sama Curry & Café, diners are granted the liberty to not only select their soup base, but also choose the intensity of spice in adorable ‘bear’ levels.

Pick from four variations: Tomato, Coconut, Japanese and Shrimp, before selecting spice levels, which starts from a mild level zero to five (baby bear), followed by six to 15 (adult bear).

If you’re game for more, indulge in super spicy 16 to 30 (crazy bear).

After enjoying the traditional starter of edamame beans, we were presented with the Ocean Trophy and Cheesy Bear in Japanese and coconut soup bases respectively, along with plates of Japanese rice.

Filled with freshly cooked prawns, squids, scallops and blue mussels, the Ocean Trophy delighted us with the unexpectedly light consistency of its broth.

When at Sama Curry & Café, cast aside your perceptions of the familiar thick and rich Japanese curry.

Here, curries are made from full-bodied soups and curry spices, resulting in lighter textures, as well as a robust depth of flavour.

Cheese lover will be thrilled by Cheesy Bear, which comes with fried chicken, an assortment of vegetables and soup curry topped with a mix of parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

The final touch? The cheese is torch-blown until it melts.

We made the right move by opting for the thicker coconut base this time round. This gave the soup curry a richer texture, which truly complemented the melted cheese.

Photo: Weekender

Fried delights

Aside from their signature curry soups, Sama Curry and Café also offers tantalising side dishes.

Coated in fried breadcrumbs, the Hokkaido Crab Cream Croquette ($6.50 for 2pcs) is filled with velvety crab cream, while the Hokkaido Imomochi ($6.50 for 2pcs) is packed with silky-smooth mashed potato and flowing cheese.